Thera 3.14: Gotama
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(183):Gotama Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter III. three Verses =183. Gotama= Reborn in this Buddha-age in the Sākiyan clan, he came to be known only by his clan’s name. He found faith when the Lord(Buddha) visited his family, and entering the Monk’s order and studying for insight, acquired sixfold abhiññā(higher knowledge).''Now, while '172' he was living in the bliss of emancipation(nirvana), his family asked him one day why he had put them aside and gone forth(into monkhood). And he, to show both the sorrow he had suffered in ''Saɱsāra and the happiness of Nibbāna''which he then had gotten, said: ---- '258' Saɱsaraɱ '32' hi nirayaɱ agacchisaɱ|| Petalokamagamaɱ punappunaɱ,|| Dukkhamamhi pi tiracchānayoniyaɱ|| Nekadhā hi vusitaɱ ciraɱ mayā.|| || '259' Mānuso ca bhavobhirādhito|| Saggakāyamagamaɱ sakiɱ sakiɱ,|| Rūpadhātusu arūpadhātusu|| Nevasaññisu asaññīsuṭṭhitaɱ.|| || '260' Sambhavā suviditā asārakā|| Saŋkhatā pacalitā saderitā,|| Taɱ viditva mahamattasambhavaɱ,|| Santimeva satimā samajjhagan' ti.|| || ---- '258' Lo! as I moved about (rebirths) through beings, I came to the kingdom infernal, So to the sad realm of the Petas(ghosts), times without number. Evil1 struck me again in manifold shapes of the beast-world. '259' Glad enough reborn as human, rarely I won to the heavens. Yes, in the realms of vision, in realms where all sense was abolished Have I been placed, and in realms between consciousness and the unconscious.2 '260' All this becoming lies clearly before me as void of real value, Born of preceding conditions, unstable and constantly drifting. So comprehending the coming to be of this self of me, heedful, Came I at length to find Peace, yes, the Peace which I am resting. ---- 1 The oddly redundant ''dukkhamamhi the Commentary gives in the verse, but restates in paraphrasing as dukkhamhi. 2 On these planes of existence see Compendium, p. 137 ff. ---- =3.14 183 Commentary on the stanza of Gotamatthera= The stanza starting with Saṃsaraṃ constitutes that of the venerable Thera Gotama. What is the origin? It is said that this one, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, performing acts of merit in this and that existence, made his reverential offering with eight champak flowers to the funeral pyre (citakaṃ) of that demised Buddha, when the Blessed One Sikhi entered parinibbāna and when divine and human beings were making their reverential offerings to the corporeal remains of that Buddha. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings, and was reborn in the royal family of the Sākiyans when this Buddha arose; he was inaugurated as Gotama but by way of his clan, and on having come of age, he aptly gained pious faith in the coming together of the relatives of the Master, became a monk, and doing the deed of developing spiritual insight (vipassanā), became an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:– “I made my offering of eight Champak flowers to Sikhi, the kinsman of the world when the Blessed One was being cremated. It was thirtyone aeons (kappa) ago that I made my offering of flowers; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of my reverential offering to the funeral pyre. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having; however, become an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge (abhiññā) he was dwelling with the bliss of emancipation, when one day, he was asked by his relatives thus: “Venerable Sir! Why have you become a monk after forsaken us?,” he taught the truth (dhamma) with these three stanzas, in order to made manifest the painful misery (dukkha) suffered by himself in the rounds of repeated rebirths (saṃsāra) and the happiness of nibbāna now attained by him. 258. “Indeed! Wandering about the rounds of repeated rebirths, I would reach purgatory, and go again and again to the world of petas; in the womb of animals I suffered painful misery (dukkha); indeed, many a time had been long lived by me. 259. “Human existence had been shared (abhirādhito) also; one thime after another I went to the body of heaven, (saggakāya) as well as to the Brahmā world of form (rūpa) and formless element (dhātu); I had stayed in such brahmā worlds as not even perception (nevasaññīsu) and as perception (asaññīsu). 260. “Existences had been well understood; they are without any essence (sāra). They are made of dependent ingredients, shaky and always fragile (aritā); after having understood it, regarding my own existence, I have attained the very tranquklity (santi) by being mindful. There, saṃsaraṃ means: wandering about my rounds of repeated rebirths now and then, by way of passing away (cavana) and spontaneous springing up in the five courses of existence (gati) owing to depravity of deeds (kammakilesa); thus, is the meaning. Hi is just a mere particle. Nirayaṃ agacchisaṃ means: I reached, by way of conception, the great hell of eight kinds beginning with Sañjīva, and sixteen sorts of projecting, prominent hells, beginning with kukkuḷa. “Punappunaṃ.” This should be brought here also. Petalokaṃ means: the sphere of petas, (the doomed departed); the existence of Peta’s body classified as hunger, thirst and so on; thus, is the meaning. Agamaṃ means: I approached and arrived by way of taking conception. Punappunaṃ means: now and then (aparāparaṃ). Dukkhamamhipi means; bad association also (dussahāya pi) with such painful suffering as specially injuring (abhighāta) sharp (tikhiṇa) whip for driving, mutually; indeed, this has been said by way of distortion of gender (Lingavipallāsa) “Dukkhamamhipi.” Tiracchānayoniyaṃ means: in the womb of animals classified as beasts, birds and so on. Nekadhā hi means: many manner, by way of camels (eṭṭha) cows (goṇa), donkeys (gadrabha) as well as crows, cranes (balāka), kites (kulala) and so on; ciraṃ means for a long time; mayā vusitaṃ means painful misery had been suffered (by me) by way of being always terrified-minded (utrastamānasatā) and so on. Here, it has been said thus: “Ciraṃ” for the purpose of showing thus; “A creature who was born in the womb of an animal, because of being much deluded (mūḷha) all round occurred but there for a longer time now and then.” Mānusopi ca bhavo’bhirādhito means: human existence also had been attained (abhirādhito), arrived at (sādhito) and achieved (adhigato) by me in combination (samavaya) with such good deeds as that. Here the sutta on the parable of one-eyed tortoise should be spoken (udāharitabbaṃ). Saggkāya’ magamaṃ sakiṃ sakiṃ means: I went to the divine body of sensual sphere (kāmāvacaradevakāyaṃ) reckoned as heavenly course (saggagati) once after once, some time or other by way of spontaneous springing up (upapajjanavasena). Rūpadhātūsu means; in the existences of formful (brahmā), which constitute the all-round end of foremost existence for ordinarily common folks (puthujjana). Arūpadhātūsu means: in formless existences (of brahmā). Nevasaññīsu asaññāsu ṭhitaṃ means; among the formful and formless elements (dhātu) also, in the but notwholly (brahmās) with perception (saññāsu); I had, indeed, then stayed (ṭhitaṃ) after having spontaneously sprung up in the brahmā abodes of neither conciousness nor unconsciousness as well as where there exists no perception (asaññā); thus, it should be interpretted after having brought over (the context). Indeed, here, by the acquisition of no perception even (nevasaññī) the brahmā existence of neither perception nor non-perception has been collected (nevasaññīnā saññībhavo gahito). Even if these two existences are taken (gayhanti) but by the acquisition (gahaṇena) of the formful and formless elements (rūpārūpadhātu), whatever, however, are outside of this, there, namely; those who hold the perception of permanence (niccasaññino) and those who hold the perception of escape from existence (bhavavimokkhasaññino), for them that perception has been taken separately for the purpose of showing the state of being wrong (micchā); thus, it should be seen. Having shown, in this manner, the suffering (anubhavaṃ) of the painful misery of circle of repeated rebirths (vaṭṭadukkha) undergone by himself in the rounds of repeated rebirths (saṃsāra) which knows of no beginning (anādimati) because of the state of not having closely cut off (anupacchinnatā) the root of existence, by means of two stanzas, he, now, spoke the third stanza starting with “Sambhava” in order to show (his) enjoyment of the happiness of (his) being out of the circle of repeated rebirths (vivaṭṭa) owing to having closely cut that (root of existence). There, sambhava means: existences; indeed, there become such existences as sensual existence (kāmabhava) and so on by the combination (samavāya) of cause-dependence (hetupaccaya); thus, it has been said as sambhava (co-existence). Suvidita means: excellently understood by the wisdom of the right path (magga) associated (sahiṭa) with the wisdom of spiritual insight (vipassanā). The expression asārakā and so on shows the manner of their having been understood. There, asārakā means: devoid (rahitā) of such assence (sāra) as the assence of permanence. Saṅkhata means: have been made by assembling (samecca) having come together with (sambhuyya) dependent causes (paccayehi). Pacalitā means; having been shaken, not steady (anavaṭṭhitā) owing to such varieties (pakāra) as on account of springing up (uppāda) and getting old (jarā) and so on but because of the state of having been made together (saṅchata). Sad’ eritā means: having been moved (eritā) by dissolution (bhaṅga) always at all times; they are unstable (ittarā), on their way to dissolution (bhaṅgagāmino), and perishable (pabhaṅguno); thus, is the meaning. Taṃ viditvā maha’mattasambhavaṃ means: having understood it according as has been said, the nature of having been put together (saṅkhata), the existence of self (attasambhavaṃ), what has become (sambhūtaṃ) in oneself (attani), the state for self (attāyattaṃ) by way of administration (issara) and so on, the state for others (aparāyattaṃ) by way of realisation (abhisamaya) of all-round knowledge (pariññā), samajjhagaṃ means: I attained, having accordingly arrived at by me developing meditation (bhāvanā) on the noble path (ariyamagga), santimeva means even nibbāna which had become the opposite (paṭipakkha) of that, satimā means by means of the awareness of the wisdom of the path (magga), after having become possed of mindfulness. In this manner, the Thera revealed his Arahantship (aññā) by way of (mukhena) teaching the truth (dhamma) to his relatives. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Gotama is complete. ----